I used to think that there was nothing in the world so perfect as Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

She was funny, beautiful, sweet, and incredibly smart.

She was clumsy, but at the same time, there was a fire in her eyes, a passion that couldn't be matched.

I used to think that she was a goddess, divine in her own right.

I wasn't wrong.

I thought I knew her, every facet of her personality, everything that made her laugh and cry.

Her favorite color, her favorite book, her favorite designer and the career path she wanted; I knew it all.

And I loved her for it.

I thought I knew who she was.

That is where I made my mistake.

"Out of my way, carrots," I heard a snide voice say behind me.

I instinctively moved on command, pressing up against a desk, my sketchbook tight against my chest to avoid touching Chloe. She brushed past me, walking to her desk without a backwards glance and sitting down.

"Ugh," she said to Sabrina. "I can't believe we have to deal with people like that. I mean, red hair? Ever heard of hair dye?"

Sabrina flushed in embarrassment. "Well, yes, Chloe but-"

"Exactly," Chloe said, running over her ginger-haired friend. "Something so unsightly on a boy of all people…"

I swallowed hard, making my way up to my desk, drawing the chair out and putting my sketchbook down on the smooth surface.

"Hey," Juleka's voice came from beside me, her hand resting on my shoulder. "You okay?"

"Fine," I said, sitting down. "It's not anything unusual," I added in a mutter.

"Don't let Chloe get to you," she said in a soothing voice. "You remember last time…"

How could I forget? "Yeah," I said with a sigh, forcing myself to calm down.

"Alya, wait up!"

I glanced towards the front of the classroom, where Marinette was just making her way inside.

It was like magic. Every time I heard her voice, my heart began to race, my brain buzzing with random fantasies involving just the two of us together in some romantic setting. Honestly, all I wanted to do was run my fingers through her silky black hair and kiss those soft, pink lips-

"Earth to Nathanael," Juleka said, waving her hand in front of my face.

"Sorry," I said. "What was that?"

She sighed. "I was asking how that Ladybug comic was coming along. You seemed pretty intense about it yesterday."

I flushed. "It's…" I glanced back down at Marinette and my heart was immediately running away from me again. "Amazing…"

"You have it bad," Juleka noticed. "Why don't you just talk to her?"

I waved her off. "Why don't you tell Rose how you feel?"

She blushed.

"Exactly," I said, mimicking Chloe's high pitched tones.

Juleka rolled her eyes. "Okay. But at least I talk to Rose. She's my best friend."

I didn't respond to that. I couldn't tell her why I wouldn't talk to Marinette. It wasn't that I couldn't-well, maybe a little bit that I couldn't-but I wasn't stupid. I saw the way that she looked at Adrien Agreste. He was her whole world. She loved him every bit as much as I loved her. I wouldn't interfere with that.

Ms. Bustier entered the classroom last. "Good morning, students," she said.

"Morning, Ms. Bustier," the class chorused.

"Now," she said. "As you know, today is a very special day. It's been six months since Ladybug and Chat Noir have been guarding our city. And in celebration, the mayor has declared a celebration taking place after dark tonight." She leaned her hands back against her desk. "So we only have a half day of school. While we're here, I've decided that we could have our own celebration."

"Yes!" Kim shouted, his fingers drumming on the desk.

"Calm down, Kim," said with a small smile. "Since I sprung this on you, I only thought it fair that I bring some snacks along. They should arrive around ten in the morning, so until then have fun talking to yourselves or whatever it is you want to do."

I immediately opened up my sketchbook, pulling out my pencil.

"Whoa there," Juleka said. "Before you go off to your own world, maybe you should talk to your friends, right?"

"You can go on without me," I said in response, putting the graphite to the paper.

"Nath," Juleka put her hand over my sketchbook. "I'm worried about you. I know you're shy but… this is unusual, even for you."

I glanced down at Marinette, watching her clumsily try to strike up conversation with Adrien. My green-eyed classmate just looked at her with confusion. It was the same look that he usually wore when she was going on about how amazing he was and it bothered me, if I was going to be honest. He didn't know what he had… at least not like this.

"It's nothing," I said. "I've just had a lot on my mind lately."

She followed my gaze and sighed. "I get it. But you should really make a move before Adrien gets smart. I think the two of you… you'd be good together."

I gave a bitter laugh in response to that. "Not a popular thought."

Most of the class was waiting for Adrien and Marinette to get together. There was even a wager on how long it would take. It seemed like a certainty.

I mean, how could I of all people measure up to either of them?

"Well then maybe everyone else is wrong," Juleka said.

"I don't think so," I muttered, brushing her hand aside and sketching some more.

Juleka leaned over my shoulder. "Marinette as Ladybug?" she asked, her eyebrow quirking.

My stomach dropped and I covered the sketch quickly. "It's just a doodle," I said. "There's nothing to it."

She laughed a little. "You've really got it bad if you're making your crush into some kind of superhero." She sighed, leaning back in her seat. "Whatever. I'm going to go talk to Rose. Join us when you feel up for it." She pushed back from her seat and stood up, her brown eyes alight with mirth as she walked away.

I turned my attention back towards my drawing, gazing at it a moment.

It wasn't surprising they didn't get it. Practically no one did.

I used to think that there was nothing in the world so perfect as Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

I wasn't wrong.

Because, more than being funny, or sweet, or clever, Marinette was brave. And I knew it.

I knew her.

And that meant that I had recognized her the instant I'd met her after that whole akuma fiasco.

The way she stood, the way she'd breathed, the way she'd asked me if I was okay before running off.

It was all her, my Marinette.

And that's why I was carrying a secret no one else could know.

Marinette was Ladybug.